Sandy Baldassari, Education Director
Jill Lincoln, Business Director

The Early Learning Center (ELC) provides a quality preschool program for children ages 18 months to 5 years old. Classes are held Monday through Friday, September through May, in the education wing of the Hockessin United Methodist Church (HUMC). The Early Learning Center is an outreach program of this Methodist Church and anyone is welcome to attend.

The Early Learning Center operates under the leadership of a Board of Directors and a staff that includes an Educational Director, a Business Director, skilled teachers, and part-time specialists, including a health and wellness nurse and a music instructor.

The ELC is a developmental learning center. It is accredited by the Nursery-Kindergarten Association of Delaware (NKAD) and is inspected and licensed yearly by the State of Delaware in accordance with daycare regulations.

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY: The Early Learning Center was founded in 1977 by Ellie Burgess and Mary Lou Becnel who sought to provide a quality preschool and Mother's Day Out program for the children of church members. As word spread throughout the community, demand for this type of developmental program grew. In 1985, the Mother's Day Out name was dropped and the toddler and preschool divisions were combined under one name, the Early Learning Center.

Since its beginning, the basic philosophy of the ELC remains unchanged. Our goal is to encourage the cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and language development of our children in a healthy, fun environment which is both positive and loving.

The Early Learning Center is an equal opportunity program in regard to race, sex, religion, color, and national origin.

THE STAFF: Our experienced teachers recognize the importance of encouraging and instilling a positive self-image. They also recognize that children are individuals who develop at their own pace. There are two teachers to every classroom and a "floating aide" on staff in addition to two directors. Each teaching team creates their own program following set units and skill development goals. Creativity abounds which makes for an exciting program.

DAILY ACTIVITIES: The school day begins when the parent/guardian walks the child to his/her classroom. We feel this brief interaction offers the parents a moment to greet the teacher, meet and visit with some of the other parents, and read our classroom bulletin boards.

Our daily activities stress manipulative play with clay, sand, blocks, and puzzles; imaginative play in the house-keeping corner and in the dramatization of stories and songs; language development and reading readiness by reading books, predicting stories and reciting rhymes; music appreciation and rhythm development in singing and dancing; social development during participation in group activities, play time, and snack time; creativity in arts and crafts; and large motor skill development on both our indoor play equipment or outdoor playground each day. These activities are integrated with studies about colors, shapes, numbers, letters, senses, feelings, parts of the body, families, friends, nature and animals, seasons, holidays, and the weather.

Throughout the school year, special programs may come to the Early Learning Center from organizations such as the Ashland Nature Center and the Delaware Museum of Natural History to share information with the children. Representatives from the community such as policemen and firemen are also invited to visit the school to talk to our classes about their jobs.

The school day ends when the parent/guardian picks up his/her child at the classroom door.

ORIENTATION, OPEN HOUSE, AND CONFERENCES: Before school begins in the fall, parents and children are invited to an orientation to help acquaint them with their classroom, teachers, and our program. An open house is held during the evening in early November each year for our preschool classes. This gathering was created for the children to invite members of their family to come and visit with their teachers and to meet their new friends.

The Toddler teachers will have brief meetings with individual parents in November to discuss the Toddler’s’ adjustment to school. They will meet again in the spring to discuss developmental progress. Parents of preschoolers will have a scheduled mid-year conference to receive a progress update on their child; however, parents are encouraged to talk with their child's teachers or any of our directors/specialists at any time during the year. We also make every effort to communicate information to parents through our monthly newsletter and on our hallway bulletin boards.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: Parental involvement is encouraged at the Early Learning Center. Parents may call the school or come by the school office any time they have a question or concern and may schedule a visit to their child's classroom after September. Parents are also invited to volunteer with such things as preparing classroom materials, sharing special talents or interests, preparing nutritious snacks, accompanying the children on walking field trips, substituting for a teacher, or serving on a steering committee for our various fundraisers.

TOURS: Please call the Early Learning Center at 302-239-3033 to inquire further about our specific classes and tuition prices, to arrange a tour, or to have your child's name placed on our waiting list. Thank you for your interest in the Early Learning Center.